What’s in the Washington Square West Neighborhood?

Washington Square West is a historic Center City neighborhood comprising a 17th-century park, the vibrant enclaves of Midtown Village, the Gayborhood and lots more.

Named “Southeast Square” in 1682, Washington Square once served as a grazing pasture and potter’s field on the edge of the original city of Philadelphia. Today, modern residences surround the park, home to the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier, a sycamore moon tree and a steady stream of visitors. To Washington Square’s north are the nearly 300 jewelry merchants of Jewelers’ Row. And to its south is Antique Row, tree-lined blocks of shops selling furnishings, collectables, art and more.

West of Washington Square, the Gayborhood serves as the hub of Philadelphia’s LGBT life and culture. Rainbow street signs proudly mark the neighborhood, from 11th to Broad Streets and from Pine to Chestnut Streets. Inside the Gayborhood is Midtown Village, a stretch of busy modern restaurants, shops and bars along 13th Street between Locust and Chestnut streets.

A block north of the neighborhood, Jefferson Station serves as a transportation hub for SEPTA’s Regional Rail lines, with service from the suburbs and Philadelphia International Airport. The Market-Frankford elevated line—known as “the El” to locals—makes stops at 8th, 11th and 13th Streets along Market Street, while various SEPTA and New Jersey Transit buses traverse the numbered streets between 8th and Broad Streets and along Market and Chestnut Streets.